American Airlines

Tulsa
International Airliner
Employees (OK): approx. 7,000    Hiring in 2012: Yes
In Oklahoma, American Airlines focuses on maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, engines, landing gear, components and APUs for American Airlines and third parties.
Good Neighbor
American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Center supports Tulsa and surrounding communities extensively by supporting more than 100 agencies through volunteerism, corporate donations or in-kind donation of airline tickets. Among numerous other efforts, AA employees are the largest blood donors in the Tulsa area, and employees adopt the largest number of Salvation Army Angel Tree children each year.

American Fidelity Assurance Company

Oklahoma City
Insurance
Employees (OK): 1,070    Hiring in 2012: Yes
American Fidelity Assurance Company provides insurance products and financial services to education employees, trade association members and companies throughout the United States and across the globe.
Healthy and happy colleagues
AFA is devoted to the health of colleagues, and a free on-site medical clinic, on-site fitness center complete with a personal trainer, on-site Weight Watchers classes and companywide walks and programs all contribute to the culture. Colleagues also participate in fun activities sponsored by senior management as a way to express appreciation for a job well done.  

The Bama Companies, Inc.

Tulsa
Commercial Baking
Employees (OK): 960    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Since the 1960s, Bama has been an innovator of wholesale bakery products that cater to the needs of the largest and most well known restaurant chains on the planet. Today, the company supplies innovative culinary and product development services and custom-made, oven-ready products to customers in more than 20 countries.
Investing in its assets
Bama focuses on improving the length and quality of life of its team members and their families. Programs include a free on-site health clinic, fitness centers, wellness programming and chronic condition management, allowing Bama to invest in the respected company’s number one asset: its team members.

Bank of Oklahoma

Tulsa
Banking, Financial Services
Employees (OK): 2,900    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Bank of Oklahoma was founded more than 100 years ago and is part of BOK Financial, a $24 billion financial services company. Its operations include commercial and consumer banking, investment and trust services, mortgage origination and servicing and an electronic transfer network.
Committed to communities
Bank of Oklahoma employees are extremely committed to their communities. As a company and as individuals, BOK works to make communities the best they can be. Executive team members in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are fixtures with both cities’ United Way chapters, and BOK employees organize fundraisers and make annual contributions. 

Cardinal Engineering

Oklahoma City
Consulting Services
Employees (OK): 68    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Cardinal Engineering is a consulting firm providing environmental, engineering, surveying and GIS services.
Supporting social responsibility
Through its Cardinal Social Responsibility Program (CSR), employees may request that Cardinal donate money to a nonprofit organization of their choosing and with which the employee is actively involved. The CSR program is run by employees, not management. This has encouraged Cardinal employees to be more active in the community and resulted in a wide diversity of charitable donations. In 2010 the CSR program resulted in 2,765 hours worked and nearly $15,000 in monetary and in-kind donations alone, helping better the community and anchor the company in it.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Oklahoma City
Oil and Natural Gas Production
Employees (OK): 6,648    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Chesapeake is the second-largest producer of natural gas, a top 15 producer of oil and natural gas liquids and the most active driller of new wells in the U.S. The company has also vertically integrated its operations and owns substantial midstream, compression, drilling and oilfield service assets.
Nurturing the next generation
In its 17th year, the Chesapeake Mentoring Program provides Oklahoma City students with caring adults who serve as positive role models and promote academic success. Nearly 500 Chesapeake employees volunteer weekly in four inner-city schools on company time. After starting with just one school and a handful of employee volunteers, the Chesapeake program has grown to become the largest corporate mentoring program in the state of Oklahoma.

Continental Resources

Enid
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
Employees  (OK): 400    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Continental Resources focuses its exploration activities in large, new or developing plays that provide the opportunity to acquire undeveloped acreage positions for future drilling operations. Continental currently holds the largest acreage position in the coveted Bakken resource play in North Dakota and Montana, and it is the largest producer of oil in the Williston Basin region.
Gifts for angels
Continental Resources employees are known for their generosity. For seven years, Continental families have participated in the Garfield County Angel Tree project, providing toys and warm clothing to local children. Each holiday season, Continental employees provide for gifts for 75 to 150 Angels. This is in addition to the many United Way fundraisers employees contribute to annually.

Devon Energy

Oklahoma City
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
Employees  (OK): 1,700    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Devon’s operations are focused onshore in the United States and Canada. It also owns natural gas pipelines and treatment facilities in many of its producing areas, making Devon one of North America’s larger processors of natural gas liquids. The company’s portfolio of oil and gas properties provides stable, environmentally responsible production and a platform for future growth. 
Lending a helping hand
Employees raised more than $350,000 plus vast quantities of food this year for the Regional Food Bank’s annual food drive. Combined with the company’s match, they contributed $700,375, which represented the majority of the agency’s total collection during its annual campaign. Additionally, employees responded in droves for the Food Bank’s “Stuff the Truck” event. 

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group

Tulsa
International
Automobile Rentals
Employees  (OK): approx. 957    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Driven by the mission, “Value Every Time,” the company’s brands, Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental, serve value-conscious travelers in more than 80 countries by providing budget-friendly rental cars. Dollar and Thrifty have approximately 1,575 corporate and franchised locations worldwide, including approximately 600 in the United States and Canada. The company maintains a strong presence in domestic leisure travel in virtually all of the top U.S. and Canadian airport markets.
Employee loyalty
In its toughest times, Dollar Thrifty found its strongest support in its own employees, who one prominent business observer in Oklahoma credited for the company’s notable turnaround.

Good Year Tire & Rubber Company

Lawton
Tire Manufacturing
Employees  (OK):  approx. 2800    Hiring in 2012: No
Good Year’s Lawton plant manufactures radial passenger and light truck tires.
Pillar of the community
Oklahoma’s two largest cities have scores of corporate citizens to support community initiatives. But in Lawton, Good Year – the city’s largest employer, second only to Fort Sill – has stepped in to fill that void consistently over the past 30 years with holiday programs for area children and support of numerous charities and community events, including raising more than $730,000 for the Lawton United Way last year. The plant’s employees are equally looked after with an on-site medical center, a recreation association to plan events and even on-site college courses for associates.

Kimray Inc.

Oklahoma City
Energy Sector Manufacturing
Employees  (OK): approx. 957    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Kimray is an Oklahoma-based manufacturer of control valves and related equipment for oil- and gas-producing companies worldwide.
Charity begins at work
Each year, Kimray donates to flagship organizations that support arts, youth, community, health, education and ministry. Kimray also matches employee contributions to charitable nonprofit organizations up to $2,500 per employee per calendar year. Kimray believes its greatest asset is its employees. For that reason, the company offers first-class benefits and pay. Employees enjoy a paid vacation day on their birthday, tuition reimbursement and access to an on-site wellness coordinator, in addition to numerous other benefits.

NORDAM

Tulsa
Aerospace
Employees  (OK): 1,705    Hiring in 2012: Yes
NORDAM is one of the world’s largest, independently owned aerospace companies.
Healthy stakeholders
The people-oriented aerospace giant doesn’t have “employees;” it has “stakeholders” who enjoy specialized health and wellness offerings, including such perks as financial reimbursements for check-ups and screenings; discounts for fitness programs; organized exercise and dance clubs; on-site screenings, health fairs and wellness courses and other ad hoc events. The company is also a driving force behind Tulsa Charity Fight Night, with stakeholders helping create this event to raise awareness and funds each year for multiple local charities.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City
Professional Sports
Employees  (OK): 152 full-time and 198 part-time    Hiring in 2012: Yes
The Oklahoma City Thunder is the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City franchise. The team plays in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The Thunder’s home court is the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Work hard, play hard
In addition to great traditional benefits, the Thunder keeps staff fresh, rewarded and in good spirits with such things as staff appreciation events on average once a month, numerous three-day weekends in NBA offseasons, quarterly happy hours, in-season lunches, holiday events, gym membership subsidies, education reimbursement and numerous other benefits and incentives, in-season and off-season. 

ONEOK Inc.

Tulsa
Diversified Energy
Employees  (OK): approx. 2,400    Hiring in 2012: Yes
ONEOK is among the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, serving more than two million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
Supporting one another
ONEOK’s ONE Trust Fund is a unique way for employees to support their co-workers in times of need. The ONE Trust Fund is a voluntary assistance program created to help employees in times of personal crisis due to natural disasters, medical emergencies or other hardships. Employees support the fund by donating money or unused vacation days. An Oklahoma City employee who benefited from donated vacation time during a serious illness put it this way: “I cannot thank ONE Trust and the employees who donate their vacation time enough. This is a great company!”

QuikTrip

Tulsa
Gas Stations,
Convenience Stores
Employees  (OK): 1,200    Hiring in 2012: Yes
QuikTrip is a gasoline marketer and operator of convenience stores in numerous states around the U.S.
Check Your Egos
QuikTrip corporate employees know that egos must be checked at the door of this company, whose offices are as upbeat as its individual stores’ staffs. QuikTrip boss Chet Cadieux is known to walk around in a Hog’s Breath t-shirt and shorts, tripping up the occasional visitor who’s unaware that while employees work hard at QT, they also have a good time. Of course, good cheer is easy for a company as generous and supportive as this Oklahoma icon, with tremendous benefits for staff, from store team members to executives, and a record of promoting from within.

Samson

Tulsa
Natural Gas Production
Employees  (OK): 770    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Founded in 1971, Samson is the largest privately held producer of natural gas in the United States. Samson is a leader in horizontal drilling and completion methodologies utilizing sound engineering technologies. It operates more than 4,000 oil and gas wells and holds interest in more than 11,000 additional producing properties.
Giving back
Samson supports a litany of community causes, including the United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and numerous other charitable causes and charities. Samson’s support also includes a variety of local drives and projects that provide encouragement and support to the arts and for community development in Tulsa and beyond.

TD Williamson

Tulsa
Pipeline and Piping System Maintenance and Repair Solutions
Employees  (OK):  approx. 524    Hiring in 2012:  Yes
TDW delivers a comprehensive portfolio of safe integrity solutions for onshore and offshore applications, including hot tapping and plugging, pipeline cleaning, integrity inspection, pigging, rehabilitation and non-tethered plugging pig technology for any pressurized piping system, anywhere in the world.
Friends in need
TDW gives back to its employees internally through the LifeTAPP program, an emergency disaster relief program that provides emergency grants for temporary assistance to its employees for situations like hurricanes, tornadoes, fire damage, death in the family or prolonged illness of a loved one. The LifeTAPP dollars that employees donate are matched dollar for dollar by the company, and are managed through a fund at Tulsa Community Foundation.

Williams Companies

Tulsa
Natural Gas Exploration, Production, Transportation
Employees  (OK): 1,300    Hiring in 2012: Yes
Williams is an integrated natural gas company focused on exploration and production, midstream gathering and processing and interstate natural gas transportation primarily in the Rocky Mountains, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, Eastern Seaboard and the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.
United Way is the Williams way
In 2011, Williams’ United Way campaign in Tulsa topped $2 million for the first time. It marked the 21st straight year the company raised more than $1 million for the Tulsa Area United Way. In the early 1990s, Williams employees also helped establish the first Day of Caring volunteer event, which since has been replicated in many other cities. This year, more than 560 Williams employees participated in the Tulsa Area United Way Day of Caring.

Few would argue that the energy industry quite literally powers our lives, but Oklahomans especially owe a lot to our local energy companies. These companies help power more than cars and homes; they power the economy.

SandRidge Energy
Employ: 1,004

SandRidge Energy, now headquartered in Oklahoma City, began in Amarillo, Texas, five years ago. Greg Dewey, vice president of communications and community relations at SandRidge Energy, says that the move into Oklahoma City has definitely had an impact on the state.

“Oklahoma City is one of the most recession-proof cities in the U.S., and one reason for this is energy companies, SandRidge included,” Dewey says.

Being a new company and a very active driller, Dewey says that Sand Ridge is growing, and that “opportunity” is the key word.

“It’s a collaborative environment and employees have the unique opportunity to share ideas and innovate here,” he says. “We have a family atmosphere that is special for our growth.”

Sand Ridge is looking to hire hard workers with a high level of character.

New Dominion, LLC
Employ: 100

Another benefit of the energy industry is the decrease of foreign oil dependence, says chief operating and financial officer of New Dominion, LLC Tim Cargile. And this only begins the impact of energy companies.

“We as Oklahomans can produce hydrocarbons from our land that create wealth for our citizens and generate tax dollars to fund our state budgets and rebuild our infrastructure,” Cargile says.

New Dominion digs into Oklahoma’s economy with several hundred wells and is budgeting for 60 more next year.

“We operate over 300 wells in Oklahoma that will generate over $250 million in gross revenues,” Cargile says.

New Dominion focuses on the highly technical process of dewatering, made possible by the company’s strong management and field teams, Cargile adds.

New Dominion’s advanced technology and opportunities for internal promotions also make the company a great one to work for, and the company is hiring in its Land Department and hopes to add 20 new positions in 2012.

Chaparral Energy
Employ: 650
Chaparral Energy might seem small compared to some of the larger energy companies in Oklahoma, but employee relations manager Kyle Essmiller says that their size is actually beneficial.

“Chaparral is small enough that employees get broad exposure and a wide breadth of opportunity,” Essmiller says. “And we’re also big enough to offer perks.”

Chaparral is in a position to grow, Essmiller says, and plans to hire for more than 60 new positions, ranging from engineers to accountants.

In addition to job creation, Chaparral’s field work in rural areas positively impacts the state.

“Our annual Oklahoma payroll is approximately $50 million, and our annual tax payments are approximately $40 million,” Essmiller says.

Yet, Oklahomans should realize that the energy industry, while growing like never before, is not a new phenomenon.

“The energy business has been a part of Oklahoma history since the beginning, and it will continue to be so,” Essmiller says. “Oklahoma is very rich in the ground still, and the role and impact of energy going forward can be huge… even national.”

Fifty years ago, defining the characteristics of a great employer was relatively easy. Decent management, a pension plan, generous vacations and health insurance were the hallmarks for many working Americans.

Employers and employment are different today. Pensions are the exception to the rule. Real wages are diminishing every day. Insurance is becoming too costly and complex for some employers to offer. Employees, too, have changed. Instead of a focus on the nuts and bolts of employment the way their parents did, many instead focus on other, more personal, value-based aspects of employment.

“Great companies to work for are one of those things – you know it when you see it,” says Dustin Pyeatt, communications manager for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, says that it also depends upon who one asks.

“To some, money is the motivator,” he says. “For other people, it’s the fun. For still others, it is a matter of what all else they get out of the job. It’s a very individual thing.”

Personal Preference

Experts on employment and employers tend to agree that the individual desires of an employee vary dramatically and that a great company to work for, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

“Since an employer may not be the best fit for every employee candidate, even though they are regarded as a good employer, this becomes a pretty personal or individual endeavor,” says Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. “It typically aligns with what individuals look for in a company and opportunity. A potential employee should identify places to work based on their own operating style and personality traits. I think it’s important to assess whether they and the company have the same goals and values.”

Neal suggests that potential employees create a personal checklist of what it is they are seeking in a company and opportunity, as well as a list of what they aren’t seeking.

“In essence, they need to compile some pros and cons that are of importance to them and will carry real weight in the decision-making process,” Neal says.

According to Mark Malone, regional vice president of Robert Half International, a leading specialty staffing service, there are hundreds of things one could take into consideration when evaluating the merit of an employer. Included among these are the obvious markers, such as salaries, benefit packages, opportunity for advancement and overall corporate culture. But there are some less obvious considerations as well.

“Is the work challenging?” Malone asks. “We hear all the time from people that they don’t want to sit and watch the clock. People want a challenge. A lot of people also want increased responsibility.”

Challenge is among other intangibles to consider when evaluating an employer.

“It is equally important to foster creativity and innovation and to recognize the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace,” says Neal. “Certainly, diversity in the workplace promotes a healthier environment on many levels and promotes innovation and creativity. Much of what makes a company great lies in identifying that their greatest resource or asset is their employees and in helping those employees excel in their respective roles, whatever that role may be.”

Williams refers to the desirable exchange between good employers and employees as empowerment.

“Do they give you the freedom to think and the latitude to be creative? Of course it depends on the specific industry, too,” he says.

Williams adds that, when appropriate, good employers explain the end result they want and then permit employees the freedom to get the company to that goal.

“It’s more that you are part of the success as opposed to you being a cog in the wheel,” Williams says.

With that kind of environment, “employees come to work excited about their work,” Williams says. “It makes people feel like they are pursuing a profession as opposed to going to a job. Good employers help employees grow and to see new opportunities.”

Pyeatt cites numerous other traits that define great employers.

“A company with a clear purpose of vision, defined roles, clear performance goals and expectations, open communication,” he says. “Also, is the company offering a quality product or service – something you can be proud of?”

Young people today have other concerns, with some wanting careers with particular social relevance or in fields or positions that feed their other interests. Some want to work for companies that give back to communities and encourage employees to do the same.

Still other people have little interest in the creative aspects of their jobs or even corporate culture.

“At the end of the day, companies have to pay competitively,” Malone says. “But it’s not everything.”

Of course, tangible benefits have changed since the past, when it boiled down to salary, pension and standard benefits packages.

“You see companies trying to provide employees with a work-life balance, which is important to people,” Malone says. “Flex time goes a long way with people who value work-life balance.”

Other benefits that contemporary job-seekers focused on work-life balance often value are meals, health club memberships and parking.

“Some companies are larger and can do those types of things,” Malone says. “Small and mid-size companies might not have the best benefits, but they can offer more money or more flex time.”

While some high-end perks like company stock, transportation and keys to the executive washroom can be important traits of a great company to work for, ultimately, satisfaction is a matter of the right match of employee and employer.

Taking Stock

While for many people, evaluating what makes a great company to work for is merely an academic pursuit, for one segment of the population it is a very serious and very personal effort: job-seekers.

Experts feel that after taking stock of one’s own desires in a job, there are numerous ways to investigate a prospective employer to determine if it’s the right environment for the individual.

“Do your homework,” advises Neal. “Research the company online and through social media – learn about the company’s mission or values and identify if they are perceived this way in the community or industry. Also, check with your network and identify individuals you know that work or have worked for the company and can share an insider’s point of view. It’s important to remember, though, that a great employer for one person might not be a great employer for another.”

Technology certainly permits greater access to information and perspective than every before. In addition to social media, company websites can be very revealing.

“Websites can tell you a whole lot, even though it may be unintended,” says Williams. “Go to the site and see how the company talks, how it looks. Who are the people who work there? Many times, company websites even have sections on why people want to work there and why it’s a competitive company. Look for those things that you’ve determined are important to you. Everyone is looking for something different.”

Malone offers three tips for prospective employees to consider.

“What kind of experience is the opportunity going to give you long-term?” he says “There are opportunities that might not pay as well as others, but they position you better four or five years down the line. Secondly remember that experience is critical. It might not be exactly what you’re looking for but it’s very important to get that experience. Finally, do your homework and make sure that the opportunity truly lines up with what you’re looking for – the company culture, challenge, and opportunity for advancement.”

Faced with options, Malone suggests touring an office of a prospective employer.

“If it’s a three-interview process, you wouldn’t ask on the first interview, but if you’re called back for a second, it’s probably going to be okay,” he says.

While on a visit, talk to employees and observe carefully, Malone advises. Do people seem to be upbeat and happy? Are they working together in a group or are individuals separate and seemingly isolated? What is the energy level like?

Malone says that companies appreciate the due diligence.

“Companies want to ensure it’s a good, long-term match from the beginning,” he says. “Companies struggle a lot with good, long-term employees.”

Whether it’s a small firm or a major, multinational corporation, there is one aspect of a company that can reveal much about it.

“To a great degree, it starts at the top,” Williams says. “What is the character, the leadership the culture like that emanates from the office? It could be one, two, three people at the top. What does the community think of this person or people? Are they thought of as innovative, open, accessible? Do employees feel like he’s one of us or is he up in a tower? Does that person relate to me?”

Those traits manifest in the form of principle that is then supported by actual policy and practices.

“Certainly, when it comes to company policy, the question is do they walk the walk,” Williams says. “If they say they care about employee health, do they pay for the YMCA? Do they treat employees the way the say they do?”

With self-awareness, observation and research, ambitious quality job-seekers can find their perfect position. And along the way they might even find a great company to work for.
 

Aubrey K. McClendon has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Chesapeake Energy Corporation since co-founding the company in 1989. From 1982 to 1989, McClendon was an independent producer of oil and natural gas. A 1981 graduate of Duke University, today he is one of the state’s most recognizable leaders of the business community and an outspoken advocate for natural gas as an affordable, abundant, clean and American fuel.

Oklahoma Magazine: What are the keys, in your opinion, to building a great company? And what are the keys to being a great employer, from the perspective of employees?

Aubrey McClendon: I strongly believe that employee teamwork and initiative are what make a company successful and enable it to outperform its peers. To recruit and retain the best employees, you must treat them well and empower them in their careers. This includes giving them real responsibility and the freedom to take calculated risks and grow. Workplace perks don’t hurt, either. That’s why Chesapeake offers the best in benefits, on-site amenities and a beautiful campus – because we want to ensure we continue to attract and retain the best employees in the world, not just in the state of Oklahoma. 

OM: What is the central philosophy that you brought to the company culture that you believe helped propel it to greatness?

AM: I’ve always had a short memory and a thick skin. In other words, I’ve never let other people’s thoughts about Chesapeake or me affect how we do business. In fact, some of our current business partners were not fans of Chesapeake when the company began, but we’re happy to work with them today. In addition, our company is dedicated to hard work and creativity, along with balanced risk taking. We believe these three qualities are critical elements of our culture.
 

OM: To what do you attribute the fast and tremendous growth of Chesapeake?

AM: Tom Ward and I began the company with a strong drive to succeed. We were both young and on our own, had a new idea and didn’t have a lot to lose if we were unsuccessful. We learned early on that hard work was the key difference maker in building a business. This work ethic continues at Chesapeake through the company’s more than 12,000 employees. 
 

OM: Was the company campus’ innovative design something you envisioned? If so, what was the inspiration?

AM: Yes, it was. From the day in 1987 that I bought the small building that I still office in today, I have been focused on building a campus that is architecturally appealing and functions well on a human scale. I like to think of our company as being organic and fast moving, so we build horizontally and on an as-needed basis (which is all the time, these days!).

I was lucky early on to be introduced to Rand Elliott of Elliott + Associates Architects. Working together, we have developed the look of our campus with a collegiate environment as the inspiration. I had a great time in college, but more importantly, I believe businesses succeed if people work together on a collegial level. I wanted to keep our buildings horizontal in scale to reflect our environment of teamwork versus hierarchy. And ultimately, I hope our campus also communicates the level of detail we bring to each job we do. When we care about the way our campus looks, we show our employees, partners and community that we take this same care in our daily oil and natural gas operations.

 
OM: What do you think was the most significant development at Chesapeake that contributed to its success?

AM: It began with our interest in horizontal drilling and a focus on unconventional reservoirs – the type of rocks where you know the oil and gas is present, but you just aren’t sure if it can be extracted profitably. Using that approach, we achieved early success between 1989 and 1992, which set the stage for the most exciting day of our young careers, Feb. 4, 1993 – the day Chesapeake completed its initial public offering. To be 33 years old and celebrating a company that went public just four years after its founding was truly exciting. We have now been a company for 22 years and are proud to continue to build value for our shareholders every day.

OM: Where do you see the company in 10 years?

AM: I truly believe that Chesapeake’s best 10 years will be the 10 years ahead of us because of the changes in unconventional reservoir development that we helped lead in the past five years. We are truly changing our nation’s – and I think our world’s – energy future for the better by discovering new, vast, unconventional oil and natural gas in the U.S. I am determined to break OPEC’s stranglehold on America’s economic future, and I am equally determined to see clean American natural gas replace dirty coal as the primary fuel for power generation in our country.
 

OM: In your opinion, is there room in today’s environment for an entrepreneur?

AM: Sure, I think there is room for many types of individuals and personalities in any industry. At Chesapeake, we encourage employees to be entrepreneurial within our company. We create an environment that encourages creativity, showing our employees that you don’t have to go out on your own to have an innovative work experience. With that being said, there are certain areas of our business where we discourage creativity. Accounting is one example!
 

OM: What advice would you give a young, aspiring executive looking to achieve and to make his (or her) mark in the corporate world today?

AM: I would advise any young professional to focus on finding something that you love, and then be determined to be the best at what you do. I have never met a rich person who set out to be that way. Instead, most wealthy people found personal and professional fulfillment by identifying what they loved and were good at, and then poring themselves into their professions. More often than not, financial success becomes an outgrowth of dedication to a craft. 
 

Each building that occupies the Oklahoma landscape is the result of a well-choreographed interplay of architects, engineers and construction companies. These key players in Oklahoma’s construction industry engage hundreds of subcontracting companies and thousands of employees in projects across the state.

The construction of the Devon Energy Corporation World Headquarters alone will require the involvement of several thousand people in its three-year rise to the top of Oklahoma City’s skyline. At completion the tower will stand 850 feet tall with 50 stories and incur a construction bill of $750 million.

More common, though, are projects in the $15 to $50 million-dollar range, like schools, healthcare facilities and banks. On average, each of these projects trickles down from architect, engineer and construction company to benefit 30 subcontracting companies and put about 400 people to work.

“The construction process can be described as a three-leg stool,” says Dave Kollmann, Tulsa division president of Flintco Constructive Solutions, one of the companies involved in the construction management of the Devon building.

The owner of the proposed structure is the first leg of that stool, bringing the direction and funding. Architects and engineers share the second, creating drawings from the direction. Third is construction companies who turn the drawings into concrete.

Construction has moved slowly away from a hard-bid process, in which an owner would engage an architect to complete drawings with an engineer that were then sent out for bid to construction companies. Now more common are methods of construction delivery that bring architects, engineers and construction companies together at the beginning of the process.

“Because of the speed that we generally move on a project now, there is a need for interaction between us and the architect and us and the contractor much earlier in the process than there was 10 years ago,” says Doug Phillips, principal at Phillips and Bacon engineering firm.

This also fosters an environment of teamwork, where hard bid projects can create an adversarial relationship, says John Cowen, owner of Cowen Construction.

“When you bring your entire team together – architects, engineers and construction company – they are all working on the same team toward the same goal,” says Cowen. This allows construction companies to hit the ground running, as well.

“As the architect begins to draw we can also begin to do some pricing and help the architects stay on budget,” says Leslie Goode, director of marketing and business development at Timberlake Construction.

In the end it is nice for the construction company because they are handed a set of drawings they are already familiar with, she says. 

“This approach normally results in significant cost and schedule savings for the owner,” says Steve Olson, group president at Boldt Construction. Boldt’s Integrated Lean Project Delivery follows this practice.

Historically, only very large projects utilized this construction management approach, but demand has trickled down to smaller jobs, says John Priest, Crossland Construction Southwest region president. 

“You work as a team very early on and work with a common goal of getting the owner the most building for their money,” he says.

“It provides the owner a transparent process. They get to see the bids, the fees. They get to see everything. It gives some owners a lot of comfort when they get to be a part of the process,” says Bob Jack, Manhattan Construction Tulsa division senior vice president.

From the moment an owner decides to build to when a shovel first hits the ground is generally six to nine months, says Kollmann. At that time construction companies dispatch a network of subcontractors to carry out the work of assembling the structure from what has been created on paper.

A construction company may engage 20 to 30 subcontracting companies in the course of a project. Large projects can require up to 50 subcontracting companies, but are scarce since the economic slump.

“There are not as many large projects, but considerably more small projects,” says Clint Frederick, marketing manager at Matrix Engineering.

Competition for these smaller projects is fierce.

“You get a lot of people competing for smaller projects, where you had design firms and construction firms that weren’t interested before in a $4 or $5 million project,” says Brad Thurman, principal and chief marketing officer at Wallace Engineering.

Priest says he’s also seen more competition from out-of-state companies looking to benefit from Oklahoma’s comparatively healthy market.

“Oklahoma has been in a little bit of a bubble from an economy and construction standpoint,” he says. 

While private construction has slowed significantly, developers have benefited from public sector growth. “Before the economy went south, we were doing more private work, and as the economy affected the private developers our work shifted to public sector,” says Matt Crafton, president of Crafton Tull architecture and engineering firm.

Slumps in economy first impact architectural and engineering firms. Often construction companies have a backlog of up to a year to work through before they feel an economic downturn. Likewise, upturns in economy are felt first by architects and engineers and later by construction companies.
The subcontractors are often the most vulnerable in this ripple. “The two things we’ve seen is a lot of subcontractors go out of business and a lot of them going out of state for work,” says Goode.

But Goode remains optimistic and leans on the architecture community to give her hints about what is to come.

“The architects are picking up. They are telling us they are getting more jobs in their studios,” she says.

Most Oklahomans pay little attention to vacant buildings and abandoned property unless, of course, that property is located next door. Whether it’s a boarded-up school, an empty warehouse or an abandoned apartment complex, vacant property becomes a real worry only when it becomes an eyesore in the neighborhood.

Officials from state and local agencies see it differently. They see the problem of abandoned properties as a financial hardship and an emergency services nightmare. They’re pushing hard for legislation that would make it easier for municipalities to deal with the growing blight of vacant and abandoned properties. From decreased property values and increased criminal activity to the enormous cost of emergency services, the problem of abandoned and neglected property has become one enormous financial black hole.

Economic Drain

According to one Oklahoma City official, the issue is costing state and local governments millions of dollars in emergency services and other expenses, and could be costing the state billions in lost property values.

“I know people might hear that and think, ‘That’s ridiculous. How could some empty buildings be that big a problem?’” says Russell Claus, director of the Oklahoma City Planning Department. “I don’t think it’s possible to exaggerate the cost of abandoned and vacant property, when you consider the overall picture. It was a terrible and expensive problem before the housing collapse, and it’s gotten even worse the past few years. When you start to add up the numbers, it’s shocking how much money it’s costing Oklahomans in so many ways.”

There are no statistics on how many properties in Oklahoma fall into the categories of abandoned, neglected or vacant. Some reports estimate as many as 20,000 structures – maybe more – are currently vacant or abandoned in Oklahoma. Many of those are in economically depressed and/or low-income neighborhoods. According to Claus and others who deal with the issue, virtually every neighborhood in Oklahoma City and Tulsa has felt the impact in recent years.

A litany of city codes designed to help keep neighborhoods from appearing neglected are already on the books. But city code violations are seldom enforced, mostly because police and other city officials are already overwhelmed with more serious, criminal issues.

“Yes, those codes are on the books, but in almost every neighborhood you have people who either don’t know the laws or don’t care what the laws are,” says Bruce Hall, a member of the Miller Neighborhood Association in north-central Oklahoma City.

The Miller neighborhood and the Mesta Park neighborhood – also in Oklahoma City – are two areas where residents have battled back against vacant, abandoned and neglected properties the past 20 years. Both neighborhoods are now shining examples of how homeowners can  save neighborhoods.

“A lot of the time it’s renters who don’t take pride in the property because it’s not their property,” Hall says.

The problem costs taxpayers and property owners in several ways. First, there is the simple issue of how unattractive the properties are. 

“Nothing ruins a neighborhood faster than abandoned and neglected properties,” says Georgie Rasco, executive director of Central Oklahoma Neighborhood Alliance. “It’s very difficult and extremely frustrating to property owners who pour their entire livelihood into their homes, only to have their property values destroyed by vacant houses and abandoned buildings.”

In addition, Oklahoma’s cities are spending millions each year providing police and fire services to these buildings, and none of those costs are being recouped because owners many times are not paying taxes.

Crime

The issue isn’t just money and the unattractive nature of these properties. Crime has become a tremendous issue in and around these properties, according to Claus.

“We speak with law enforcement officials about this issue all the time,” Claus said. “These properties – such as abandoned apartment complexes and empty warehouses – quickly become a haven for illegal activities. It’s very common today for people to set up temporary meth labs in these structures, which often lead to fires and/or explosions.”

Claus says school officials in Oklahoma City and Tulsa deal with the criminal aspect of abandoned properties on a regular basis. He relays the story of one Tulsa school official who says troubles at home and gangs aren’t as scary to students as the crime-ridden, abandoned apartment buildings in their neighborhoods.

“These kids go miles out of their way to avoid these places because of the drug activity and the crime that is associated with these kinds of structures,” he adds. “That’s a real problem that has nothing to do with money. How do you measure that cost?” 

No Quick Fix

There are ways state and local governments can attack the problem by “going after” the properties and the property owners. State and local laws provide municipalities with the legal right to condemn a property if the abandoned and vacant situation persists, but, for obvious reasons, a property cannot be seized easily.

“Yes, it is a lengthy process, and it’s designed that way to ensure that the state or the city doesn’t have the freedom to just go around snatching property away from owners who simply don’t act quickly enough,” says State Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City. “There will most likely be legislation coming in the next session that will make it easier for cities to condemn properties, but we have to walk a fine line between public safety and the rights of property owners.”

Rasco says one ordinance allows a city to condemn a property that has not had utility services for three years.

“But the property owners know this, so often they will come along just as that three-year window is about to expire and they’ll have the water turned on for two or three months,” she says. “That not only stops the process, but it also forces us to begin waiting through another three-year period.”
Claus and officials with other Oklahoma cities are well aware of their rights when it comes to assuming control of abandoned and neglected properties. And, whenever that action becomes necessary, they will take those steps, but they do so very carefully.

“It’s certainly not a step we take lightly, no matter what people think,” Claus says. “It’s not something we want to do, and we do everything possible within our power to rectify these situations without having to resort to that. Taking someone’s property and terminating their property rights is and should be the last resort in a desperate situation.”

Compounding Effects

As much as city officials like Claus understand the need to protect the rights of property owners, he is quick to point out that the situation as it stands currently simply cannot be allowed to continue. The cost is just too high.

“In Oklahoma City alone we estimate there are more than 8,000 abandoned pieces of property,” he says. “And, on average, it costs us more than $1,500 per year to provide police and fire responses to each and every one of those. If you use those numbers, which I believe are actually conservative, that means in police and fire protection alone those properties are costing Oklahoma City $12 million every year.”

Claus says the U.S. Postal Service estimates the number of vacant properties in Oklahoma City as high as 16,000.

Both Claus and Rasco say the impact on property owners across Oklahoma is immediate and devastating when it comes to home values.

“When someone drives into a neighborhood to potentially look for a house to purchase, they don’t just consider the house,” Rasco says. “A lot of their decision for where to locate their family is based on the neighborhood. It focuses on the houses and the buildings around the property they are considering buying. And, especially in today’s housing market – with so many houses on the market – if you drive into a neighborhood and see abandoned and vacant houses, you don’t stick around to look any further.”

Studies across the United States have shown that abandoned and vacant properties have a direct impact on the prices being paid for new homes. One such study in Philadelphia estimated the average homeowner’s cost at $7,500.

Michelle Allen, spokesperson for the City of Tulsa, says Mayor Dewey Bartlett put additional funding in the current fiscal year budget to help offset the increased cost of dealing with vacant and abandoned properties. Claus adds that Oklahoma City officials are currently seeking a consulting company to study the issue.

“What we need are numbers,” Claus says. “We need to know exactly how many of these properties there are, exactly how much they’re costing every year, and we need someone to bring us information on how other cities are dealing with the issue.

“I understand that people are somewhat hesitant to ever give the city more authority to condemn property and take away the owner’s rights,” Claus continues. “This is by no means what we with the city of Oklahoma City want to do and not what we intend to do. We are simply trying to find some way to deal with this problem. It simply has to be dealt with and it has to be done quickly.”